Best Books for Music Lovers 2012

Certainly, the music lover would prefer the gift of music over books, of course. Amazon’s top-selling albums for 2012 include some of music industry’s best-known and enduring recording artists: Bruce Springsteen, Leonard Cohen, Bonnie Raitt, Paul McCartney, and Bob Dylan. Also, 2012 marks the 50th anniversary of The Rolling Stones — a remarkable achievement when you consider their decades of drug abuse, debauchery and promiscuity. And it is no surprise that some of the music books recently published focus on some of these top artists. This year’s releases can be broken down into reference works, biographies, retrospectives/photo books, and archival books.

REFERENCE WORKSBob Dylan: Stories Behind the Songs 1962-69 by Andy Gill The Beatles 1962-66: The Stories Behind the Songs by Steve Turner The Rolling Stones: The Story Behind Their Biggest Songs by Steve Appleford The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars by Jeremy Simmonds The Complete Classical Music Guide by John Borrows Rock Chronicles: Every Legend, Every Line-Up, Every Look by David Roberts Rock Atlas: 650 Great Music Locations and the Fascinating Stories Behind Them by David Roberts Neil Young: The Definitive History by Mike Evans Get the Led Out: How Led Zeppelin Became the Biggest Band in the World by Denny SomachClassic Rock Posters by Dennis Loren and Mick Farren

BIOGRAPHIESWaging Heavy Peace by Neil YoungWho Is That Man? In Search of the Real Bob Dylan by David DaltonBruce by Peter CarlinWho Am I? A Memoir by Pete TownsendKeith Richards: A Rock n Roll Life by Bill MilkowskiThe John Lennon Letters by John LennonAdele: A Celebration of an Icon and Her Music by Sarah-Louise James

RETROSPECTIVESBob Dylan: Forever Young by editors of Life The Rolling Stones 50 by The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones: 50 Years of Rock n Roll by editors of Life LIFE with the Beatles: Inside Beatlemania by Robert Whitaker Beyonce by Andrew Vaughan Katy Perry by Noam FriedlanderLady Gaga by Lady Gaga and Terry RichardsonDavid Bowie Is edited by Victoria Broackes

ARCHIVESTreasures of Bob Dylan by Brian SouthallTreasures of Green Day by Gillian Gaar The Treasures of Beethoven by John Suchet The Treasures of Mozart by John Irving